


Once Upon A Rainy Day

by ForYouIAmRomy



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Adlock, Bromance, F/M, Sadlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 04:59:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8191093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForYouIAmRomy/pseuds/ForYouIAmRomy
Summary: When John searches for a missing Sherlock in the streets of London - where will he find him?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was made for Day 1 of the Adlocktober challenge inspired by the Tumblr blog "A Scandal in October" which you can find here: http://adlocktober.tumblr.com/
> 
> The dialogue prompt was:  
> “How long have you been standing there?”  
> “Longer than you’d like.”
> 
> It came out slightly different than I first thought but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. It is also the first time that I posted a FF. I've tried and written some little ones just for myself in the past and as a practice but I never posted one for everyone to read. So, I'm a bit nervous. Also: Please be kind with my use of the English language since I'm not a native speaker.

When John made up his mind to search the streets of London for Sherlock Holmes on this very stormy and very uncomfortable autumn day, he hadn't really expected where he would find him in the end.

It was an unstable time for all of Britain, but especially for Sherlock, who had to cope with the fact that Jim Moriarty apparently had survived their confrontation on the roof of St. Barts hospital - however he had managed _that_ \- but despite his great detective work und his combiantion skills had still no clue to Moriarty's whereabouts or his plans. John, as well as Mary, Mrs. Hudson, Molly, Greg and of course Mycroft were now more concerned than ever for Sherlock's well-being. His return to the drugs was no longer a secret, since Sherlock more or less declared the fact openly on the day of his supposed "journey" to Eastern Europe. John knew he had to keep an eye on Sherlock night and day and although he had a bad feeling about leaving Mary and their little newborn daughter behind, he strongly believed that at the end of the day it would be better for all of them if he wouldn't let Sherlock alone with his helplessness and frustration.

So, when John began to search for Sherlock - Sherlock was out since the morning hours trying to think somewhere else, according to Mrs. Hudson - he thought of all the known bolt holes and places Sherlock liked to go for thinking and ultimately made up his mind to visit every one of them. It really was the most unfit day for a paperchase through London. The rain soaked the streets and the few people who were out of their comfartable houses had to deal with the almost painful whistle of the wind. It also annoyingly carried the wet autumn leaves in front of John's face when he, once again, stepped out of the cab to search for clues on Sherlock's whereabouts at yet another place. Inside, John wanted to curse Sherlock for making him search all of London on this unpleasant day in October, but he knew that Sherlock was not the most stable of persons at the moment regarding his state of mind, even if he would never admit it.

Involuntarily, John had to think of another equally rainy day a few years ago, when he had been equally drenched from the pouring rain. That day he had come home from picking up supplies when he saw Mycroft standing outside of Speedy's with an umbrella and waited for him, John, to tell him a few minutes later that a certain lady, Irene Adler, had been found dead. This memory, if he wanted or not, evoked a thought in John. Suddenly he knew where else he could search for the missing Sherlock. A place he would've never thought of without this particular memory of that long forgotten rainy day. And yet...John realised that Sherlock could be far more sentimental than he wanted himself to be and even if he wanted to hide it from the rest of the world. But he couldn't fool his best friend, could he? And so John Watson went on a trip down memory lane and took a cab to 249B Grosvenor Crescent in Belgravia.

 

Sherlock had been apparently standing in the rain for a quite some time since he was extremly soggy from the ongoing rain and somehow looked as miserable as the weather itself was when John found him in Grosvenor Crescent. The street where once a unique woman named Irene Adler had lived. Oh, what an adventure Irene Adler had been. An adventure with fatal consequences for both Ms. Adler and Sherlock, in more than one way, but a special adventure nonetheless. John had to think back at this time with a mix of sentimentality, melancholy and - he didn't really know why he had this feeling - grief.

He saw Sherlock standing there - opposite Irene Adler's former house - from far away with his unmistakable height, his fair skin and his signature coat. His usually curly hair hung straight against his face, making his cheekbones more prominent than ever, his scarf and coat were completely wet and John briefly wondered if Sherlock could even feel his feet anymore with him standing there in the freezing cold. Good thing he had wisely thought of an umbrella which was blood red and represented the only splash of colour on this grey and gloomy day. John put the umbrella over both of their heads when he finally reached the place where Sherlock was standing and casually stood beside his friend.

"How long have you been standing there?" John asked in a tone as if it were completely nomal that both of them stood here, at the former residence of the woman formerly know as Irene Adler which now lay there cold and barren. Not that John could blame Sherlock. He knew and had always known that Sherlock had a special something with Irene Adler. Even if he still didn't know what that "something" was. Maybe Sherlock himself didn't know. But John had not expected how much Sherlock apparently missed Ms. Adler until now. For him to choose to visit her house at such a difficult and draining stage of his life proved Sherlock's sentiment to John with a sudden realisation. And John's heart clenched suddenly and painfully while thinking about the cruel fact that Irene Adler would never, ever return. Not to this house and certainly not to Sherlock. The pain in John's heart became almost unbearable when he further thought that he could never tell Sherlock that Ms. Adler was dead. Especially not now when he needed all of his strength and wit for the battle against Moriarty. John remembered what had happened when Sherlock last had thought that Irene Adler was dead and he just could not be responsible for his best friend's pain and grief again. Not then and not now. But that also meant that Sherlock always would live with that last spark of hope for her return in his heart and because of that John almost wanted to cry in agony on Sherlock's behalf. How cruel would the endless hope be?

"Longer than you'd like. And longer than I'd like for that matter." Every other person, not familiar with the man would've thought that these words had come out emotionless and almost cold, but John Watson, who knew Sherlock better than anyone else, realised that Sherlock in this moment tried to bottle up emotions that seemed to stir under his hard surface and made the effort to keep his voice calm and cool. John felt more miserable by the moment but also tried to keep his own voice steady and normal.

"Are you standing here often?"

"From time to time."

"Why?"

"Mhm?" Dammit. Why he had to ask that? Probably Sherlock himself didn't know why he came here more than once. So why would and how could he explain it to John in an understandable way?

"I mean...do you miss her?" John couldn't help but ask.

"Yes." replied Sherlock with an unexpected honest voice and without hesitation.

 _Yes_? That was surprising and John at first didn't know how to react to this openly made confession. Oh Sherlock, John thought with sadness. He suddenly - and for him personally unexpectedly - wished that Irene Adler would still be alive. John himself had never been her greatest supporter but maybe...maybe she would've been a chance for Sherlock. And even if Ms. Adler had tricked Sherlock in the most cruel way you could ever trick an inexperienced man, John knew, that she had taken a special place in Sherlock's hidden heart and had hold on to that place until now. A place no other person would ever be able to claim. And now, for the first time, John understood what Mycroft had told him on this other rainy day a few years ago: "Is that loathing or a salute? One of a kind, the one woman who matters." _The_ woman. Mycroft had been right of course. John was almost ashamed of himself that he had not seen how Ms. Adlers betrayal must've hurt Sherlock and what status she had earned for herself in Sherlock's mind, despite everything. He was really a _great_ friend, John thought bitterly.

"Well, I mean...that's understandable. She was... _is_ a unique woman."

"She is."

"What would you say to her if she could be here now?"

"I..." Sherlock hesitated while he obviously tried hard to think of the right words. And it looked liked he wanted to prevent himself from exposing too much.

"I probably would accept her dinner invitation this time."

For every other listener these word might've sounded confusing and incoherent but John who knew both Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler to some degree understood that so much more was contained in this simple acceptance for dinner. It was a promise for more. For something, anything. Something that was too private for Sherlock ever to admit, not even to him. A promise for the future, a hope for something special. And yet, as John stood in the pouring rain side by side with Sherlock he realized that Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler would never have a future or hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know, it's sad. And then again - John doesn't know that Sherlock saved Irene so there is still some hope left :)  
> It's not what I intended to write at all but the thoughts kept flowing and just manifested themselves in my mind.
> 
> What I wanted to show was John's realisation of Sherlock and Irene's relationship. Because I always thought that it was odd that at the end of "A Scandal in Belgravia" he didn't really get why Sherlock called Irene "The Woman" and that Sherlock didn't really despised her or even hated her. That always bugged me for some reason since John claims to be Sherlocks best friend. But ultimately only Mycroft did really get what Sherlock's and Irene's strange realationship was about (in my opinion) because Mycroft knows Sherlock of course far longer than John. But with this I wanted John to redeem himself a little ;) And I wanted to portray Sherlock as a bit more open with his feelings. After "The Abominable Bride" I think it's plausible that he opens himself a bit to sentiment. Why else would Moffat & Gatiss incorporate a whole scene where basically Sherlock asks himself why he can't have a relationship like most people? It just makes sense to me that Sherlock is changing in that regard.
> 
> This fic also adds to my personal headcanon that Sherlock sometimes visits Irene's former house just to hold on to her memory. Especially after "The Sign of Three", "His Last Vow" and "The Abominable Bride" this makes sense to me, because Sherlock does think of Irene more frequently now and he knows that she is somehow back in London and/or Britain since she obviously visited him in the hospital after he had been shot. Naturally Sherlock, in my mind at least, has to wonder, where she is and so he sometimes searches for traces of her.


End file.
